The Team Rocket research base at the Lake of Rage was a place Cain had visited countless times in his past life, so he knew the terrain very well. However, the current layout was completely different from what he remembered.
Currently, all of Team Rocket's facilities at the base were in perfect condition, untouched by any surprise attacks from the Alliance, which gave the place an entirely new appearance.
When Cain visited the base in his past life, it was already in ruins. The facilities were shattered, with battle scars on the walls, the floor, and every corner.
At that time, he was tasked with cleaning up the base so Team Rocket could resume its research operations.
While he might not be able to boast about much, Cain felt confident that he knew every nook and cranny of the base.
Following closely behind the young man, Cain passed through several checkpoints as they ventured deeper into the base.
Cain remembered clearly that the base had five underground levels, and access to each level required increasingly restrictive permissions. The young man guiding him had reached the third underground level, where entry required at least the rank of a Captain.
Upon arriving at the entrance to the fourth level, the young man finally stopped and typed a series of numbers into a keypad on the door.
Moments later, the image of a middle-aged man with a mustache appeared on the screen above the keypad.
"Sir, the person has arrived," said the young man respectfully, addressing the man on the screen.
"Oh? Bring him inside," the man replied, squinting slightly when he saw Cain behind the young man.
The door, which could only be opened with special permissions, immediately unlocked, and the young man led Cain further inside.
According to usual access points, the previous door required Captain-level permission, and the young man needing to request additional access indicated that he had the rank and authority of a Team Rocket Captain.
The middle-aged man on the screen clearly held at least the rank of Senior Officer in Team Rocket, and it seemed that he was the person Cain was actually meant to meet.
Senior Officers in Team Rocket were typically high-level trainers, with some even being near-Elite level. In his past life, Cain had reached that level but failed to progress further.
To advance within Team Rocket, strength is only part of the challenge; the value of contributions is also a crucial factor.
The research base at the Lake of Rage had five levels, each decreasing in size like an inverted pyramid. Cain was now on the fourth level, a high-security area.
In terms of power, he didn't have the merits to be here; it was all thanks to Umbra's backing.
Shortly after, the young man guided Cain to an office.
At the center of the office was a large desk, behind which sat a middle-aged man in a white coat with a small mustache—the same man who had granted them access.
Upon seeing Cain enter, the man's eyes sparkled. "This young man must be the mission target, correct?"
The young Team Rocket member, with his head bowed, answered respectfully, "Yes, sir. I saw his badge."
With this confirmation, the middle-aged man scrutinized Cain from head to toe, paying special attention to the Murkrow on his shoulder.
Immediately, Murkrow felt as if a wild beast were watching him, and all its feathers stood on end.
The man let out a laugh and pressed a yellow button on his desk. With a "click," a wall split in half, revealing a secret room that looked like a training gym.
Rubbing his mustache, the man smiled and said, "Milan, test his strength."
"Yes, sir!" responded the young Team Rocket member, whose name was Milan.
A test of strength? Was this part of the mission?
Slightly confused, Cain stepped into the secret training room.
The room was spacious, equipped with various training tools and a moderately sized battle field at the center, made of durable material.
"Show your strength. If you pass the evaluation, you'll get what you want," said the middle-aged man, sitting comfortably in his chair with a mocking smile as he rubbed his mustache.
Test my strength? Wasn't it obvious that the opponent was a Captain?
Cain felt a bit helpless. How was he supposed to fight against an opponent like that?
"Hm, such a large power difference wouldn't be interesting. Milan, use only one Pokémon. Young man, you may use as many Pokémon as you wish, and there are no restrictions on battle rules. Fight with everything you've got," the middle-aged man said, as if reading Cain's thoughts.
Cain narrowed his eyes. He couldn't reveal all his Pokémon, but if the opponent only used one, he still had a chance, especially since there were no restrictions on battle rules.
Besides, Cain doubted his opponent would dare to kill him. Despite his lack of power, Cain represented one of Team Rocket's sub-leaders, Umbra, an elite-level trainer.
Though Umbra might not stir much trouble over the loss of a subordinate, the middle-aged man wouldn't want to risk creating a poor impression with Umbra either.
Milan took out a Pokéball with Team Rocket's symbol on his belt and threw it onto the field, releasing a Golbat.
Golbat's information appeared in Cain's mind:
Pokémon: Golbat (Light Green)
Type: Poison + Flying
Egg Moves: Gust, Feint Attack
Basic Moves: Absorb, Supersonic, Astonish, Bite, Wing Attack, Confuse Ray, Air Cutter, Swift, Poison Fang, Mean Look
Learned Moves: Snatch, Defog
TM Moves: Hidden Power (Water), Shadow Ball, Sleep Talk, Substitute
For a Team Rocket Captain, it was common to have Pokémon at level 30 or higher. This level 32 Golbat seemed to be one of the weaker ones in his team.
The man wasn't using his full strength, partly because he didn't see it as necessary and partly to avoid making it obvious that he was exploiting his advantage, which could harm his career.
While Umbra probably wouldn't bother dealing with a member of Team Rocket at this level, a mere hint of Umbra's displeasure could make many want to get rid of him to gain their superior's favor.
Since the man had reservations, that gave Cain more room to maneuver.